Lightning-sparked blaze burns through grove of giant sequoias in California's Sierra National Forest
Fire crews climb trees, lay sprinkler lines and wrap trunks as the Garnet Fire reaches the McKinley Grove; sequoias burned after an intense wildfire tore through remote slopes east of Fresno
FRESNO, Calif. — A lightning-sparked wildfire in California’s Sierra National Forest burned through a portion of a giant sequoia grove and set some of the ancient trees on fire, officials said Tuesday, prompting specialized crews to work to protect the iconic specimens.
The Garnet Fire, which began Aug. 24, reached the southeast side of the roughly 100-acre McKinley Grove late Sunday or early Monday, according to Jay Tracy, a spokesperson for the incident. The blaze has scorched about 85 square miles (220 square kilometers) of grass, chaparral and timber in a remote area known for camping and hiking about 60 miles (97 kilometers) east of Fresno and was about 14% contained as of Tuesday.
The fire reached the canopies of several giant sequoias, prompting crews with tree-climbing experience to be sent into the grove to extinguish flames high in the trees, Tracy said. To protect the largest trees, some estimated to be as old as 3,000 years, fire crews laid sprinkler lines to raise ground moisture, wrapped trunks with fire-resistant foil blankets, raked flammable material away from the base of trees and patrolled the area for hotspots.
“These trees are near and dear to the forest and to our community and we want to do our best to protect them,” Tracy said.
Giant sequoias grow naturally only in a roughly 260-mile (420-kilometer) belt on the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada. They are the world’s largest trees by volume, can exceed 300 feet (90 meters) in height and are closely related to the coast redwood, the world’s tallest. Sequoias have evolved to rely on low-intensity fires, which can open their cones to disperse seeds and clear undergrowth so seedlings can establish. Fire officials said the Garnet Fire is more intense than the low-severity fires to which sequoias are adapted.
The Garnet Fire has burned through a mosaic of vegetation types, including grass, chaparral and timber, in a region that is remote and rugged. Crews have focused on protecting cultural sites, infrastructure and natural resources, including the McKinley Grove. Access challenges and the intensity of the flames in some areas have required a combination of ground crews, tree climbers and indirect containment measures.
Firefighters have continued patrols to find and extinguish hotspots around the grove and elsewhere in the fire perimeter. Officials did not immediately release information on any injuries to people or fatalities.
The incident highlights the vulnerability of even the most fire-adapted tree species when wildfires reach higher intensity and burn into canopies. Forest managers and firefighters said they used historically informed tactics — such as cutting vegetation and lubricating soil moisture around valuable trees — to try to reduce immediate threats to the sequoias while continuing suppression and containment operations across the larger incident.
The Garnet Fire remains under active management, with resources assigned to containment, structure protection and resource preservation. Local authorities urged the public to avoid the area for safety and to allow crews unobstructed access to firefighting operations. Further updates on containment and the status of the McKinley Grove were expected as crews continued operations and assessments after the immediate flare-ups were controlled.